Tips & Tricks

[Rotorhead]

As well, take a couple seconds to check inside your cargo compartments to make sure additional weight hasn't been added without anyone telling you. Could be a surprise with your c of g.

 

Yes indeed, with geologists especially. "For every ten pounds of fuel you burn off, they'll try to load twenty pounds of rocks!" - Dick Wood (RIP)

[Skids Up]

Rotorhead,

 

I can so hear Dick saying that!!

 

Thanks for the memory...

[KnuckleDragger]

I like to close doors for customers. It gives the excuse to take one more look at cowlings, fuel caps, and the area around the AC. Not only that they like the extra service. Of course that only applies when you are on a good landing area with the AC shut down.

 

Keeps them from wrecking the doors too.

[KnuckleDragger]

Turn your strobe light on and leave it on. We all tend to look back at the helicopter as we are walking away from it, and seeing the strobe light flashing is a sure sign that the battery was left on.

 

RTR

 

Doesn't work at all if your strobe light is burnt out. :shock:

[KnuckleDragger]

A lot of folks do their di in the morning. I would suggest doing it at night. Engineers usually work at night when the machine is on the ground. If a problem is found they show up faster and nicer when already awake after actually sleeping. It's also best not to keep a customer waiting on a problem you could have found the night before.

[hybrid]

A lot of folks do their di in the morning. I would suggest doing it at night. Engineers usually work at night when the machine is on the ground. If a problem is found they show up faster and nicer when already awake after actually sleeping. It's also best not to keep a customer waiting on a problem you could have found the night before.

 

I usually just check the fluids and take a quick look around in the morning as the engineer

has done one too. I kind of like to do a "progressive" DI, meaning if I get a break during the day I look in the engine and transmission areas. I guess the point is just always be poking around with a suspicious eye.

[Rotorhead]

Be nice to your fellow pilots on a job site, no matter who they work for, you may very likely work with them again as co-workers.

 

I spent a long time with Canadian but twice I gave hangar space to a VIH machine when they were stuck in town due to freezing rain or heavy snow.

 

A few days ago I shook Ken Norie's hand for the first time after having been his employee for the past 18 months.

 

Fourteen years ago we were stuck with an unserviceable JetRanger and one of VIH's AME's loaned me a CECO FCU to keep me going until our supplies came in three of four days later. Those were the good days. I hope that AME is healthy and happy these days. Karma is a great thing if it's in your favour.

 

RH

[Bif]

I'm sure anyone who's flown in Ab for any length of time, especially in the patch, will have figured this out long ago. But, having a grasp of the Alberta Township System can be a BIG help. And when a customer hops in your machine with a list of wells and has lsd's but no gps coordinates, this site can really save your butt (great with a smart phone in the field!)

 

http://www.ags.gov.ab.ca/gis/map_converters/conversion_tools.html

[What Limits]

Also it is a good idea to understand the differences between NAD27 and WGS83 as points of reference.

 

Another confusing issue is the use of different presentations for Lat/Long. Understand if your are getting

 

degrees and decimal degrees

degrees minutes and decimal minutes

degrees minutes and seconds.

 

Did you know that if CF SAR call you when an ELT activates, that they will give you the position in degrees and decimal degrees?

[Phil Croucher]

The township system - there is a very old DOS program that does some conversions. If you don't have an old DOS PDA (the HP range I'm thinking) you can get DOS emulators. It was very useful when there wasn't an internet connection around. Maybe someone can remember the name - i'll try

 

phil